Casa Grande, Chaza Occhipinti, Chiaramonte Gulfi, Sicily

A Home for Wine Lovers on an Estate in Santa Margherita

Arianna Occhipinti started her own label in 2004 with one hectare of abandoned vines in Fossa di Lupo, after a university course in viticulture and enology that taught chemistry over instinct. She ignored the chemistry. Two decades later her estate spans nine contrade in the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, and in July 2025 she extended the same philosophy into hospitality with Chaza, a two-house project in Contrada Santa Margherita designed by studioGUM, the Ragusa-based practice known for its restorations of rural Sicilian architecture. Casa Grande is the larger of the two: a contemporary build for families and groups of friends, surrounded by the vineyards and orchards that supply the estate's own wine, oil, and produce.

Casa Grande is a generous, contemporary build set among working vines, designed by studioGUM for groups who want shared meals and quiet mornings on the same terrace. Local craftsmen built it from white Iblean stone, ceramic, and iron, the same materials that define the estate's visual identity. The result reads contemporary rather than rustic, with a panoramic terrace as its organizing idea.

The living area combines sitting room, kitchen, and a fully equipped pantry in one bright, open space, anchored by a working fireplace. Maiolica tile runs along the kitchen island, and terracotta pendant lights hang above it. Four double bedrooms and two en-suite bathrooms sit on the upper floor, with a third bathroom and ground-floor access completing the layout. The whole ground floor is barrier-free.

The panoramic terrace is the house's center of gravity, framing uninterrupted views over the Santa Margherita countryside toward the coast. A pool sits just below it, with a stone solarium and shaded pergola for the hours between meals. The garden opens directly onto the vineyard.

The other home on the same estate, Casa di Pietra, is also available on Boutique. Click here for details.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Chiaramonte Gulfi sleeps up to eight guests in four double bedrooms, with three bathrooms (one shared), and a single open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area across two floors. The ground floor is barrier-free, with a service bathroom completing the common area.

- Bedroom 1 — Double, en suite

- Bedroom 2 — Double, en suite

- Bedroom 3 — Double, shared bathroom

- Bedroom 4 — Double, shared bathroom

- 1 ground floor guest bathroom

Experiences

The estate runs all experiences directly. A contrada wine tour by jeep covers the different soils behind each wine's character. Cellar visits and tastings are led by the winemaking team. A cooking class focuses on simple, seasonal Sicilian dishes, finished around the table.

Good to know

Guests can order the Dispensa Occhipinti, a curated case of estate wine, oil, and pantry staples, delivered to the house for an additional fee. Airport transfers and extra housekeeping are available on request, also for a fee. Bicycles are provided for exploring the surrounding contrada. Wi-fi, air-conditioning, and a washing machine are included.

Amenities & services

Air-conditioning, fully equipped kitchen with basic appliances, washing machine and clothesline, bicycles, garden furniture and barbecue, pool towels, welcome kit with local guide and map, cot available on request. Additional fee: wine and pantry selection, airport or station transfers, extra housekeeping.

Around

Casa Grande sits in Contrada Santa Margherita, the most recently planted of Arianna Occhipinti's nine contrade, in the hills above Chiaramonte Gulfi, the town locals call the "balcony of Sicily." From the terrace, the view runs from olive groves and almond orchards down toward the Iblean coast. Ragusa, Modica, and Noto, the Baroque heart of southeastern Sicily, sit within a short drive. For lunch, Majore has been cooking pork in the historic center of Chiaramonte Gulfi since 1896, now in its fourth generation. Book ahead as the dining room is small. Marina di Ragusa and the Iblean coast are roughly 40km away, an easy day trip when the pull of the sea outweighs the pull of the vines.